The word is used in the English legal system but seems to have bypassed everyday speech.Ĭuriously, it is found to be well understood in the former British colonies of Sub Saharan Africa.įrequently asked questions about “in a timely manner” and closely related expressionsĭo you say, ‘in a timely fashion’ or ‘on a timely fashion’ ?
The Oxford dictionary states its origin as being Scottish. The word ‘timeously’ would be a succinct way of expressing the same sentiment but it is not in common use in American English. It would also probably be wise to get an understanding of the exact time frames each party is committing to.Īlternative expressions for “in a timely manner”Īlternatives to the phrase are, ‘in a timely manner’ or ‘on a timely basis’. It is best to observe the non-verbal cues that accompany such a request to understand the true meaning of the agreement and the consequences of non-delivery. There is room for confusion because one person’s sense of urgency may not be matched by the other person’s in such a verbal or written interaction. The rather cumbersome word ‘friendlily’ is an adverb that can be found in the Oxford Dictionary.Īs stated above, the phrase is used politely when the person requesting the task does not want to be seen to be pulling rank or unduly rushing the person doing the work. Similar words in the English language include friendly, lovely and homely. Hence, the construct of the phrases ‘in a timely fashion’, ‘in a timely manner’ and ‘on a timely basis’. In the form ‘timely’, it should only be used to describe other nouns and not verbs. The word ‘time’ is a noun, and therefore becomes an adjective, and not an adverb, when the suffix -ly is appended. The basis for the argument is that adverbs are formed by adding the suffix -ly to adjectives.įor example, ‘that is a beautiful dress’ (adjective) can be used as an adverb, ‘the dress was sewn beautifully’.
Others may argue that that sentence should be rephrased as, ‘There needs to be timely delivery of the report’. ‘the report needs to be delivered timely’. However, debate rages about whether the word ‘timely’ can be used as an adverb, e.g.
#GET TIMELY LOGIN FULL#
The plastering on the building is to be done in a timely fashion, however the client understands that there may be time delays due to unfavourable winter weather conditions.Īmericans do tend to use the word ‘timely’ in place of the full phrase. The use of the phrase implies an agreement between two people, usually of different ranks, about a task that will take a period of time, and may be complex.įor example, it would be used when requesting that the catering for a party be delivered on time, but not for a single cup of tea on returning home. If a senior member of staff wanted a junior member of staff to deliver results quickly, they would employ this phrase. The term arose around the mid-1900s during the era that saw the rise of corporate management.
“In a timely manner” is basically a formal, but polite way of saying, ‘hurry up’, or ‘I need this task completed quickly’. What is the meaning of “in a timely manner”?
In the 21 st century, we would more likely speak of delivering, ‘to a given standard, on time and within budget’. It has its origins in the emergence of bureaucracy, and has been replaced by terms more commonly used these days in project management. The phrase “in a timely manner” conjures up images of a bygone era when time seemed to move more slowly.
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